Forgiveness
by JewDrop91
Summary: Robbie does the one thing to Jackie that he never thought he would. Can he be forgiven?


**A/N: I'm starting to get fed up of these. Slightly different start to this story. Hope you like.**

**Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own the Taggart team.**

**"Oh Robbie just shut up, for once!", screamed Jackie throwing the file she was holding, onto her desk and walking towards him.**

**"No I won't shut up. You think you know everything, well I can tell you now, you haven't got a clue!", he hollered back.**

**Stuart and Matt were on their way back to the office while this arguement had ensued so they were completely unaware of what had occured.**

**"Do me a favour and just get out of my sight!"**

**"Why the hell should I? It's not your office. We share it.", Robbie shouted before adding in a murmur "Unfortunately."**

**In the blink of an eye, Jackie had leant up and slapped him clean across the face hard enough to leave a handprint on the left side.**

**Robbie saw red and, just as Matt and Stuart walked through the doors, he smacked Jackie in the face causing her to cry out. As soon as he'd done it he felt disgusted with himself. Matt jumped forward and shoved Robbie into his office leaving Stuart to deal with Jackie- who by now, was crying uncontrollably.**

**Stuart sat her down at her desk, bending down to her level so he could see the damage that had been done. Carefully he prised her hand away from her cheek revealing a huge red mark which looked like it was going to turn into a very nasty bruise. It was also slightly cut and bleeding. He went to the kitchen and rinsed a cloth under the cold water, then gently he pressed it to Jackies cheek making her jump due to the cloth against the lump on her face.**

**In Matts office meanwhile, Robbie had just received the bollocking of a lifetime. He'd also been told that due to his irresponsible actions he'd just given himself 2 weeks suspension starting from now.**

**Robbie didn't argue, he simply rose from the seat, went out into the office collected up his belongings and left without so much as a look to either Stuart nor Jackie. He couldn't bring himself to look at Jackie. He felt utterly disgusted with himself. He'd never hit a woman in his life and he never ever thought that he would hit Jackie. Not Jackie, not the woman he loved. Well there was no chance in hell of him ever getting anywhere with her now. **_**Well done Robs, you've fucked up now! Really fucked up.**_

**By the time Robbie had got to his front door, his knuckles were red raw where he'd played 'punchbag' with a few brick walls on the way. Getting inside he threw his things to one side before going into the living room and throwing himself on the sofa. As he replayed that moment over and over again in his head the more awful he felt. Suddenly he burst into tears, sobbing into the nearest cushion. He spent the rest of the day laying on his sofa, sobbing, sleeping and fighting back the urge to phone Jackie before the rest of the day had past and it was time for him to go to bed.**

**Jackie had been sent home early by Matt and told not to go back until the swelling in her cheek had gone down, so she'd also spent the day on her sofa crying and sleeping, eating and fighting the urge to phone Robbie and apologise for driving him over the edge. Eventually evening had arrived so she got herself ready for bed. Once she was dressed she sat on the edge of her bed and gazed longingly at the photo on her bedside table. It was a picture of herself and Robbie taken 7 months before at the Christmas party. Both their arms round the other and they looked picture perfect together. **

**The Day After**

**Jackie woke to the sun streaming in through her windows. She shielded her eyes from the sharp light and chastised herself for forgetting to shut the curtains the night before. Although when she thought back the the night before and the state she had been in, she wasn't surprised that she had forgot to shut them. She'd simply undressed and then crawled into bed, the tears still slipping down her cheeks as she'd thought about how angry she must have made Robbie for him to hit her. **

**Jackie remembered a conversation she'd once had with him in which he mentioned that his Father use to beat his Mother and that he'd vowed then - even as a little boy - that he would never hit a woman in his life. **

**"Oh Robbie, I can't begin to imagine how you feel."**__**she whispered to herself while running her finger along the outline of Robbie in the picture. **

**Jackie finally found some courage to look in the mirror and see what her face looked liked now it had had time to come out. Gingerly, she made her way to the bathroom and looked into the mirror on the wall above the sink. The reflection she was faced with was not as shocking as she first imagined. The swelling had gone down a lot just leaving a horrid looking bruise underneath her right eye along with a small cut.**

**Gently running a finger over it, she winced slightly at the pain she felt. Jackie eventually washed and got herself dressed. Placing herself on the edge of the bed, her eyes fell upon the picture again. "I don't care that you hit me Robbie. I still love you. Nothing will change that."**

**Having sat and stared at the picture for long enough, Jackie decided that the hoovering wasn't going to get done unless she actually moved herself. Dragging the Dyson out from under the stairs she hoped that doing some work may take her mind off of Robbie and what he might have been doing- however she soon discovered that hoovering wasn't going to work. Packing the hoover away she made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the couch. Jackie soon dozed off on the sofa and was awoken by someone knocking on the door. Unfolding herself and getting up, she made her way into the hallway. **

**Robbie meanwhile, had awoken to the sunlight streaming in through the window and into the living room, hitting the sofa on which he was laid. Sheilding his eyes from the sun, he cursed to himself for not waking up in the right place. Once he'd worked all the kinks out of his neck, he then made his way up to the shower. Stopping in thedoorway of his bedroom, he gazed at the picture sitting on the bedside table. It was a picture of himself and Jackie taken at the Christmas party 7 months before. Standing with their arms round each other. Robbie shut his eyes and thought back to that night. It had felt so natural standing with her like that. Something that he'd hoped to feel again, but it didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon- all because he'd been an idiot. **

**Opening his eyes, he gazed directly at Jackie and whispered, "I'm really sorry Jackie. Really really sorry. I love you"**

**While he was stood in the shower, Robbie thought of all the ways he could put right, what he'd done wrong and in the end he came to one conclusion. He would get dressed, build up some courage and go over to see Jackie in the flesh. There was no point in trying to hide from what had happened they'd be face to face at some point.**

**Within a few minutes, Robbie was out the shower, dressed and standing in his hallway. Grabbing his keys, wallet and phone, he left his house making a pit-stop at the local florists to collect a single red rose. From there, he drove on to Jackie's house, pulled up directly outside and taking the rose with him made his way to the front door and knocked on it three times. After a few seconds her saw her reflection through the glass in the door.**

**As soon as she stepped into the hallway and looked at the door, Jackie instantly knew who it was and as overwhelmed as she felt, she was suddenly very scared. Why was Robbie here? He was a stubborn git and didn't say sorry quickly, sometimes not at all. Jackie was very unaware just how much she meant to the man standing on her doorstep. She opened the door quickly but didn't open it fully, she just clicked it open and walked away, curling back up on the sofa. She knew that he'd make his own way in. She was right. A gentle click of the front door and a shuffling in the hall told her that he'd taken the silent invitation.**

**Jackie was staring out the window when Robbie entered the living room, but just because she wasn't looking didn't mean that she didn't know. As soon as he'd entered the room the smell of his aftershave hit her nose and sent her heart racing...again!**

**Having stood in the doorway for five minutes feeling a bit like a bacon sandwich at a Jewish wedding he decided to take his life in his hands and sit down. As he sat down he caught sight of Jackie's eye in the window and couldn't stop the tears that flowed down his face.  
As Jackie was just deciding whether or not to turn around, a single red rose appeared infront of her face. Breathing in, she smelt the sweet scent it was giving off. Turning to him she was shocked to core to find that he was crying and tears were quite freely, flowing down his handsome face.**

**Placing the rose o the coffee table she turned so that she was facing him fully so he could see what her eye looked like. Then she leant forward reached out her hand and wiped the few stray tears that still adorned his face. Then she got up and went into the kitchen to find a vase to put the single rose in. When she got back in the living room and went to sit down again Robbie took a hold of her hand and held it in his making Jackie sit next to him which she did so with no hesitation. **

**Slowly he bought her hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it. They sat staring at eachother for what seemed like hours when Robbie opened his mouth and whispered "I'm so sorry Jackie." It was said so quietly that Jackie just about caught what he'd said.**

**"I'm sorry for starting the argument, for making you so mad that you reacted in the only way you could. No, if anyone should be sorry Robbie, it's me." Jackie replied, her own tears running down her face.**

**Robbie shifted himself and pulled Jackie towards him, wrapping his arms around her and gently ran a finger over her bruised eye before leaning forward and pressing a feather light kiss to it. Instincts told him to leave it there but the feelings he'd been storing away finally came to the surface so he started to press kisses down her jawline, stopping at the corner of her mouth giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. She didn't, so he placed his mouth overs hers and did the thing he'd been dreaming of since he'd laid eyes on her. When Jackie released a soft moan Robbie kissed her harder and pulled her closer, running his hands round her ribcage and briefly across her breasts.**

**A while longer when they'd finally parted mouths in order to breathe they were both smiling and their eyes shone brightly, shone full of love for the person infront of them.**

**"I am sorry Jackie. I never meant to hurt you. I'd never lay a finger on you I promise and I'll beat the living hell out of anyone who ever does."**

**"Robbie hush. I know you'd never hurt me. I've known you long enough to know what you would and wouldn't do to me." At this sentence Robbie raised his eyebrows and grinned suggestively. Jackie saw the expression and simply rolled her eyes, she did however, wink back at him- once she'd hit him playfully in the chest.**

**"Am I- am I forgiven?" Robbie suddenly sounded very afraid.**

**"I forgave you the instant you hit me, for the simple reason that I know you'd never lay a finger on me- or any other woman for that matter." She pressed a loving kiss to his mouth. Breaking apart she looked him directly in the eye and said, "I love you Robbie."  
"I love you too Jackie, I really really love you." He kissed her then leant back so that Jackie could see his face. He looked like he was deciding on whether or not to say something.**

**"Something on your mind Robs?"**

**"Well, do you think I could get started on the things I'd like to do to you?"**

**Jackie didn't answer him but simply hit him playfully again before snuggling into his chest, happy that, out of something that was fairly nasty, something wonderful had blossomed.**

**Finito!**

**Review? Like it/Dislike it/Improvements? Tell me :) xx**


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